Gustav bortmann and reinhold mtjnkwitz



(No Model.)

G. BORTMANN 88 11. MUNKWITZ. DAMPER DEVICE EOE MECHANICAL MUSICALINSTRUMENTS.

110,599,881. Patented Mar. 1,1898.

i' Sl v llllll 1 'jiesfas' rfzzrg W v L? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAV BORTMANN AND REINHOLD MUNKWITZ, OF LEIISIG, GERMANY.

DAMPER DEVICE FOR MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 599,681, dated March 1,1898. Application filed May 8. 1897. Serial No. 635,734. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern,.-

Be it known that we, GUSTAV BORTMANN and REINHOLD MUNxwrrZ, subjects ofthe King of Saxony, residing at Leipsic, Saxony, Germany, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Damper Arrangements forMechanical Musical Instruments, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to an improved device,shown in the annexeddrawings,intended for damping the reeds or tongues of musical boxes.

This device is distinguished from those known for the same purpose byits peculiar construction and secure operation.

Figures l and 2 of the drawings show each a side view of the improveddamping device with the damper in two different positions. Fig. 3 showsa front view. Figs. 4 and are side views of a damper, modified in shapeonly, in two different positions; and Fig. 6 a front view of the dampingdevice.

The damping device consists of a rigid lever I), arranged alongside anoperating-wheel d and turnable on the axle i, parallel to the axle ofwheel a, and provided with a resilient damper d, and the two pallets cand c projecting laterally from the lever ZJ into the plane of the wheeld.

The lever Z) and pallets c and c are preferably made of steel-plate. Thedamper d is of flexible resilient steel and stands upon the lever Z2 andis deflected when the damper is pressed on the end of the tongue c'while damping the same.

For operating the tongue e' the wheels a receive theirrevolution fromthe music-sheet n.

The damping of the tongue ,e by means of this device is effected byarranging that for each partial turn given to the wheel d for oneoperation of the tongue a tooth of the wheel 0. passes the pallet c andthus turns (Figs. 2

and 5) the latter, with the lever h, a certain distance on the axle i,so that by the lever b the damper d is guided to the tongue and thusdamps it. Then a second tooth of the wheel a passes the pallet c',whereby (Figs. l and 4) the latter, with the lever h, is turned back'onthe axle i, and by this revolution of the lever l) the damper d is againmoved away 5o from the tongue z. With this outward movement of thedamper d the tongue ,e is simultaneously operated by a third tooth ofthe wheel a and gives thus the sound.

In order that the damper ddoes not fall by itself prematurely on thetongue z, the pallet c' is formed in such a manner that the tooth of thewheel a passing the same slides on it during the revolution of the wheeluntil another tooth of the wheel a begins to pass the 6o pallet c forthe movement of the damper d onto the tongue.

IVe claim as our invention- In a mechanical musical instrument thecombination of a vibratory tongue .e arotary wheel a having teethadapted to set said tongue in vibration, a vibratory lever carrying aresilient damper d in the plane of said tongue and pallets c c on saidlever in the plane of wheel a whereby the lever is adapted 7o to berocked in a plane parallel to the said wheel a by the teeth thereofduring a part revolution thereof in order to move the resilient damperagainst and remove the same from the tongue before the action of a tooth

